We are pleased to announce that IRH has recently been awarded a new five-year project by USAID to explore evidence-based solutions to reduce unintended pregnancies by improving fertility awareness and expanding fertility awareness-based methods (FAM).

Improved fertility awareness among women and men increases the use of family planning;

Expanding the availability of FAM increases family planning uptake.

Why this new project helps fill the gap

In developing countries, a woman’s lifetime risk of dying due to pregnancy and childbirth is one in 75, nearly 100 times higher than the risk in developed countries. Studies also show that an estimated 220 million women are not using any family planning method, despite wanting to avoid pregnancy. Providing these women with information and the full range of family planning methods–including fertility awareness-based options–not only saves lives, but also improves other social, educational, environmental and economic indicators.

Our work will result in tested strategies to increase fertility awareness and expand FAM at the community level – fostering an environment where women and men can take actions to protect their reproductive health throughout the lifecycle. You can learn more about our take on the impact of fertility awareness here.

In partnership with an excellent team of global health experts—International Center for Research on Women, Population Media Center, and Save the Children—we look forward to sharing our transformative findings, and welcome you to stay engaged with the FACT Project along the way.

For more information, download our FACT factsheet and follow us on Twitter: @IRH_GU #FACTProject

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The FACT Project is funded out of USAID’s Research, Technology, and Utilization Division in the Office of Population and Reproductive Health, Bureau for Global Health.